


Happy Vantine's day, Neal...

by LadyPenn (i_write_a_lot)



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, M/M, Magic is Real, Other, Pre-Slash, Valentine's Day, love potion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 15:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_a_lot/pseuds/LadyPenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Valentine’s, and Neal finds himself alone again. Resigned to it, he thinks nothing will happen. Diana, however, decides to give him a love potion. Only instead things turn out a bit…wrong. The AU White Collar fic where Diana is a witch, and magic is real. Not magic like the Harry Potter books, but just plain old-fashioned magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Vantine's day, Neal...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sholio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/gifts).



> I do not own White Collar.
> 
> My very first White Collar fic.

“What’s the matter?” Peter asked with growing dread. Diana swallowed hard.  
“Sir…I…I gave Neal a…a love potion,” Diana confessed, looking down. Peter sighed. Of course she did.

~*~  
As soon as he got into the office that afternoon, Peter knew something was wrong. All the agents were quiet and shaken, and Diana was crying. Peter frowned and went to her. 

“Diana?” Peter asked, as the agents remained quiet and watched the scene unfold. It was Valentine’s day…maybe she’d just had a bad date. But then, he realized, Neal wasn’t anywhere around. And Neal normally comforted people in situations like these.

“What’s the matter?” Peter asked with growing dread. Diana swallowed hard.

“Sir…I…I gave Neal a…a love potion,” Diana confessed, looking down. Peter sighed. Of course she did.   
While Diana was a witch, she was sometimes…a bit presumptious in her quests and goals in making everyone happy, especially on holidays. Magic…sometimes he hated it, hated   
it with a passion that would make Neal proud. 

“Why?” He asked, patiently.

“Because-he looked so lonely! I was…I thought a love potion would help him, help him find someone for just a night or so. Instead…he said some words, took a knife, and went and locked himself in your office.” She said, and sniffled. “I’m sorry sir. I was only trying to make him feel better.”  
Peter shook his head. 

“I’ll…wait-did you say knife?” He asked, the dread settling in deeper. She nodded again, and pointed to his office which was dark and grim looking. “Damn it, Caffrey. Okay-after this, no more potions unless its an emergency, Diana.” He said grimly, and she nodded. With that Peter, began moving towards his office, the agents staying well out of the way. He suddenly wondered exactly what Neal had said to make them all so unhappy.

“Neal?” Peter called, feeling a bit unsettled. His office was far too quiet. And dark. The windows were closed, and he could smell the scent of roses. He crept farther in, thinking that Diana owed him HUGE for this. She should’ve known-don’t give potions to convicts unless its an emergency. But Diana was convinced she had done nothing wrong…shaking his head, he walked a bit farther into his office, and didn’t even notice the doors close behind him. “Neal? You okay, buddy?” He asked, keeping his voice soft and hushed.

“What’s wrong with me, Peter?” Neal asked, his own tone sounding quiet and dejected. Not something that Neal normally sounds like, and Peter instantly wanted to go and sooth him. Odd, he thought to himself. “Why does everyone hate me?” He continued, and Peter finally was able to see him, and his heart stuck in his throat. Neal was shirtless, and-yup, he had a knife and he looked as though he were contemplating on where to cut himself. Peter was going to freaking kill Diana. Or at the very least, put her on paperwork for two years and change.

“Not everyone hates you.” Peter said automatically, moving closer to Neal’s side. “You realize what’s wrong with you, right now, right?” He couldn’t help but ask.  
Neal sighed, his tone miserable and so bitterly filled of loneliness that it cut straight at Peter’s heart. 

“Of course…Diana gave me a love potion. She said it would help me not be unhappy. But she lied. Everyone lies to me, because they hate me. They should hate me, I’m a thief. I might steal your heart along with your money or valuables. Better to keep away. Your smart,” He said, and Peter sighed.

“Kid, I’m a moron. As you regularly point out. And anyway, El and I like you just fine.” He responded lightly, slinking down to sit on the floor next to shirtless Neal. God, Neal looked like a freaking work of art himself. He was having a hard time ignoring him. “Want to give me the knife?” He asked, holding out his hand. Neal hesitated for a few, brief moments…before he handed over the knife. Peter tucked it away, and said quietly, 

“Neal, you aren’t alone. No matter what that potion is making you think or remember, you AREN’T alone. If you really want to spend time with someone, come spend time with El and I, tonight.” Peter then hated himself as his mind cheerfully brought up an image of him, Neal, and El together. Gritting his teeth at the hard on he was getting at the image, he continued, “El would love having you over again.” That was true, actually-El had been all but demanding that he bring Neal over for some quality family time.   
Neal seemed to consider. 

“You don’t hate me?” He asked, sounding so heartbroken that Peter felt tears spring to his eyes, though he firmly told himself it was because of the candles in the room.  
“No.” He said firmly, hoping to convince Neal.

“Prove it-kiss me,” Neal challenged, and Peter gaped at him, dumbly.

“W…what?” He asked, staring. 

“Kiss me. If you kiss me, it means you like me. That’s what Diana said,” Neal informed him. For a moment, Peter was only-

Oh.

Oh.

A Kiss would break the love potion. He smiled, leaned forward, and pressed his lips to Neal’s. Just as soon as he made contact, it seemed to spark a change. Neal went from eager, to willing, to slowly confused, to-

Yanking away in horror.

“Peter? W…what the hell?!” He cried, sounding astonished and confused and panicked.

“Diana gave you a love potion, a kiss broke the ‘spell’ so to speak,” Peter explained. “You had a knife, and the love potion made you…well…a bit depressed.” Peter said grinning at him. “Very nice look by the way.” He continued, and Neal looked down at himself, blinking in shock at seeing himself half-naked.

“W…” Neal shook his head. “I feel…kind of weird. Like I’ve been sleeping,” Neal confessed, frowning. “Did-you kissed me!” He protested, staring at him. 

“Yes, I did. Are you going to come spend time with El and I?” Peter asked, smirking at him. Neal was more confused by the moment, but then couldn’t help but realize…Peter liked him. 

He liked him. 

A little warmth finally found its way into Neal’s heart, and he said with a wicked grin, 

“Will El kiss me too?” 

Outside, all the agents looked up sharply at hearing Neal’s voice shouting, 

“I LOVE YOU, YOU ‘HATE’ ME, WE’RE ALL A BIG MESSED UP FAMILY!!!!” 

“Shut it, you clown!” Peter’s snarl came from the room, as both men excited, Neal happy once more, and Peter scowling like no tomorrow. “All of you, go home. Diana-no more potions. Ever.”

Diana pretended to still be upset, but inside she was beaming. 

Her potion worked.

She couldn’t help but watch the two men, and think…

Happy Valentine’s Day, Neal.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Sholio for the inspiration. This fic is for her. I hope she as well as everyone else reading enjoys it!


End file.
